Condenser



Feb. 4, 1930.

E. LUCKE CONDENSER Filed Feb. 8, 1927 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1930 mm sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE mm 1:. LUCIE, or new YORK, 11. 1, Assrcmoa mo woarnmeron rm um mcnmnmr conrom'rron, or NEW YORK, 11'. 1., a coaroaarron or manna commnsna Application fled mind-" 8, 1927. Serial No. 166,781.

This invention relates to steam condensers of the surface type and an object of the in- 3 vention is to provide a construction of hi h vacuum surface condenser adapted especial y g for large sizes, in which the condenser tubes contribute the maximum area possible to active condensation of steam, and thus reduce to a minimum the total tube surface required for a given weight of steam per hour. v

In carrying out the invention it is aimed es ecially to provide effective use of all the tubes and tube surfaces in a condenser. In condenser of the type as disclosed in my companion application filed Apgust 3rd, 1925, 15 Serial Number 47,675, the tubes are arranged in a belt of uniform flow resistance from steam inlet side to air exit side of the belt, and the flow resistance is fixed by the number of tubes across the belt and b size and spacing. To insure the least possi 'le loss of vacuum across the, condenser between air pump connection and steam entrance the flow resistance must be as small as possible, that is, not too many tubes across the belt nor too close a spacing. However, on the other hand it is necessary that all parts of the belt should receive a pro er share. of the steam and to this end the ow resistance of the belt must' -be high enough to force the steam to dis 80 tribute itself over all of the entrance area of the belt, and to this end the tubes across especially suited for condensers attached to.

turbines or engines that tend to deliver the steam to the condenser, concentrating flow toward both ends and away from the middle, or toward the middle and away from the ends, or toward one end or otherwise unequal longitudinally. The desired result is accomplished by providing diametricall extending direction plates or, bafiles whicli are spaced apart a distance lessthan the distance between the outermost or end plates and ends of the condenser. The tube belt is folded so as to rovide a central air space entirely surroun ed by tubes and the two end direction plates are connected by an exhaust guiding plate which extends across the steam inlet of the condenser so as to towards the ends of the con enser and revent any entering between the plates. he steam first passes rom the outside or entrance side inwardly through the folded belt of tubes at the ends of the condenser and into the air space. It then passes longitudinally through the end directlon plates which are cut out or provided with openings corresponding tothe air space, and into that part of the air space between the central and end uide the steam direction plates, and outwardly from the air space through the tube belt, passing lon tudinally around the edges of the central rection plates into the central section formed by the central direction lates and finally inwardly through tube fol into the air space of the condenser from which it is drawn oil by an ejector or vacuum air pumpof any approved design.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompan ing drawings, showin a condenser of t e preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the condenser constructed accordance with the. present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the condenser taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the condenser taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the condenser similar to Figurel only on an enlarged scale.

Referrmg more particularly to the draw ings a condenser of the type knownas twopass condenser is shown but it is to be understood that the present invention is equally applicable to single pass condensers.

The condenser comprises the shell 1 having 'the usual Water boxes 2 and 3 at its opposite ends, and provided with the steam inlet 4. Tube sheets or heads 5 and 6 are also provided in the condenser which carry and sup-- port the tubes 7. As clearly shown in Fig ures 2 and 3 of the drawings the tubes are arranged in a folded continuous belt 8 completely enclosing the substantially pickshaped air space 9 which extends longitudinally through the condenserfbeing interrupted only by the central or intermediate direction guiding plates 10 and 11 which extend across the interior of the condenser shell. The outermost or end directional plates 12 and 13 are provided with openings or out out portions 14 corresponding to the shape of the air space and these end or outermost direction plates are connected by the steam guiding plate 15 which bridges or covers the space within the condenser between the direction plates 12 and 13 and extends across the exhaustinlet 4 inclining inwardly and downwardly from the center of the inlet for guiding the steam towards the ends of the condenser and preventing steam entering the tube layer except at the ends. The steam entering the condenser at its end portion passes through the belt of tubes into the air space 9 and passes through the openings 14 in the end or outermost direction plates 12 and 13 into the spaces 16 between the inner plates 10 and 11 and the respective outer plates 12 and 13. Within the spaces 16 the steam travels outwardly through the belt of tubes and about the edges of the plates 10 and 11.. Spaces 17 and 18 are provided at the upper and lower edges of the plates 10 and 11 to permit passage of the steam across these plates into the central space 19 between the inner direction plates 10 and 11. In the central space 19 the steam again passes 1nwardly through the tube belt 8 into the air lane 9 from which the air is drawn ofi through a suitable air outlet 20 by means of an e]ector or vacuum pump of any approved deslgn.

By particular references to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be noted that the direction plates or baflies 10, 11, 12 and 18 are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the plates 12 and 13 and the adjacent ends of the condenser and also that the plates 12 and 13 extend to the inner surface of the shell 1 at the lower portions of the plates so as to confine the passage of exhauststeam from the spaces at the ends of the condensers into the spaces 16 through the openings 14 in the plates 12 and 13- which opef1- ings co 'spond in shape and size to the air lane 9. Any suitable means may be provided for draining the condensate from the end spaces in the condenser to the hot well 21, one form of such construction being the pipes or passages 22.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown but that these may be modified widely within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is: i I

1. In a surface condenser, tubes arranged in a belt of uniform flow resistance about an airspace, and a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser for directing the steam inwardly through the tube belt over a portion of the longitudinal length of the tubes and then outwardly from the central space through the tube belt.

2. In a surface condenser, a steam guiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenser in a pre-determined direction, a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser for directing the steam in a sinuous pathlongitudinally through the condenser,

said guiding plate attached to certain of said direction plates and forming a closure for the space between the direction plates and the steam inlet;

3. In a surface condenser, a tube belt arranged to form an air space surrounded by the tube belt, a steam guiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenser towards its. ends, and a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser for directing the steam in a sinuous path longitudinally through the condenser.

4. In a surface condenser, a tube belt arranged to form an air space surrounded by the tube belt, a steam guiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenser towards its ends, and a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser for directing the steam through the condenser whereby the steam will alternately pass inwardly through the tube belt into the air space and outwardly through the tube belt from the air space.

5. In a surface condenser, a tube belt arranged to form an air space surrounded by the tube belt, a steamguiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenserin a pre-determined direction, a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser, certain of said direction plates being provided with cut out portions corresponding in shape to the shape of the air space and other of said direction plates provided with cut away portions to form spaces at their edges whereby the steam passing longitudinally through the condenser will be directed in a sinuous path.

6. In a surface condenser, a tube belt ar ranged to form an air space surrounded by the tube belt, a steam guiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenser in a predetermined direction, a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser, certain of said direction plates being provided with cut out portions corresponding in shape to the shape of the air space and other of said direction plates provided with cut away portions to form spaces at their edges whereby the steam passing longitudinally through the condenser will be directed in a sinuous path, and an air ofitake for the condenser communicating with the space between the innermost direction plates.

7. In a surface condenser, a tube belt arranged to form an air space surrounded by the tube belt, a steam guiding plate for guiding the steam entering the condenser towards its ends, a plurality of direction plates extending across the condenser for directing the steam in a sinuous path longitudinally through the condenser, and an air ofitake communicating with the space between the innermost direction plates.

8. In a surface condenser, tubes arranged about an air space, and means for directing steam across the tubes into the air space over predetermined portions of the tube lengths and across the tubes outwardly from the air space over other predetermined portions of the tube lengths.

9. In a surface condenser, means for directing steam entering the condenser towards its ends, and means for directing the steam in sinuous paths from its ends towards its transverse centre.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.-

CHARLES E. LUCKE. 

